# CVE-2026-71462: Automation-controller: automation-controller-container: automation-controller: custom_venv_path setting provides filesystem path-existence oracle on control pod

Status: published. Published: 2026-09-23. Updated: 2026-11-05.

StringListPathField.to_internal_value() calls
              os.path.exists() on unbounded user-supplied paths.
              200 vs 400 response reveals existence of arbitrary
              absolute paths on the controller-web pod. Tenant
              superuser can confirm /etc/tower/SECRET_KEY, k8s
              service-account token, receptor sockets, ConfigMap
              mount points. Mainly impactful on managed AAP
              (ansiblecloud.com) where tenant admin != host admin.

## Remediation

- workaround: Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8 (automation-controller): ≥ 0:4.6.33-1.el8ap; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9 (automation-controller): ≥ 0:4.6.33-1.el9ap; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9 (automation-controller): ≥ 0:4.7.17-1.el9ap; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 (ansible-automation-platform-26/controller-rhel9): ≥ 1789673739; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7 (ansible-automation-platform-27/controller-rhel9): ≥ 1789580684; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 4.1 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.26% as of 2026-11-05; percentile 17.17%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-204

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:71113 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:71114 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:71177 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:71179 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-71462 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2512371 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-71462; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-71462; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated Not reported

Revision: 31bdb98871369d451ae996d12bb2fab11e3a2b59f8da02130d5bc749690fcc39

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-71462

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